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Effectiveness of Evidence-Based Treatments for Perinatal Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Meta-Analysis

Perinatal mental health disorders, including perinatal PTSD (P-PTSD), are prevalent during pregnancy and the postpartum period, yet routine screening and treatment for PTSD in these populations remain uncommon. P-PTSD can develop during the perinatal period, either preexisting or because of trauma, not necessarily related to childbirth. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the effectiveness of evidence-based PTSD treatments in pregnant and postpartum women. Primary outcomes focused on PTSD symptom reduction, with secondary outcomes including broader psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety and depression. Eligible studies were RCTs or open trials with participants aged 18 or older, who had trauma exposure during the prenatal or postpartum periods and received evidence-based trauma-focused psychotherapy. A comprehensive literature search was conducted from March 27, 2024, to January 22, 2025; a total of seven studies were included in this meta-analysis. Random-effects multivariate meta-analyses revealed that behavioral, evidence-based PTSD treatments had a large and significant effect on PTSD symptom reduction (g = -0.96 95% CI [-1.6647, -0.2469], p < .01), with nearly one standard deviation of improvement. For secondary psychiatric symptoms, a moderate, non-significant effect was observed (g = -0.6156, 95% CI [-1.2838, 0.0526], p = .07). These findings support the use of trauma-focused therapies for perinatal women with PTSD. Further research is needed to explore treatment efficacy for co-occurring symptoms like depression and anxiety and should intentionally include pregnant women with preexisting or non-birth-related PTSD to evaluate how trauma-focused interventions meet their unique needs.

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Work Title Effectiveness of Evidence-Based Treatments for Perinatal Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Meta-Analysis
Access
Open Access
Creators
  1. Alyssa Zampogna
Keyword
  1. PTSD
  2. Perinatal PTSD
  3. Perinatal Depression
  4. Evidence-Based Treatment
  5. Childbirth-Related PTSD
  6. Meta-Analysis
License CC BY 4.0 (Attribution)
Work Type Article
Publication Date June 2025
Deposited June 11, 2025

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Version 1
published

  • Created

    June 11, 2025 08:23 by amz5312

  • Updated

    June 11, 2025 08:23 by [unknown user]

  • Added Effectiveness of Evidence-Based Treatments for Perinatal Posttraumatic Stress Disorder A Meta-Analysis.docx

    June 11, 2025 08:25 by amz5312

  • Updated Keyword, License, Description, and 1 more Show Changes

    June 11, 2025 08:32 by amz5312

    Keyword
    • PTSD, Perinatal PTSD, Perinatal Depression, Evidence-Based Treatment, Childbirth-Related PTSD, Meta-Analysis
    License
    • https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
    Description
    • Perinatal mental health disorders, including perinatal PTSD (P-PTSD), are prevalent during pregnancy and the postpartum period, yet routine screening and treatment for PTSD in these populations remain uncommon. P-PTSD can develop during the perinatal period, either preexisting or because of trauma, not necessarily related to childbirth. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the effectiveness of evidence-based PTSD treatments in pregnant and postpartum women. Primary outcomes focused on PTSD symptom reduction, with secondary outcomes including broader psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety and depression. Eligible studies were RCTs or open trials with participants aged 18 or older, who had trauma exposure during the prenatal or postpartum periods and received evidence-based trauma-focused psychotherapy. A comprehensive literature search was conducted from March 27, 2024, to January 22, 2025; a total of seven studies were included in this meta-analysis. Random-effects multivariate meta-analyses revealed that behavioral, evidence-based PTSD treatments had a large and significant effect on PTSD symptom reduction (g = -0.96 95% CI [-1.6647, -0.2469], p < .01), with nearly one standard deviation of improvement. For secondary psychiatric symptoms, a moderate, non-significant effect was observed (g = -0.6156, 95% CI [-1.2838, 0.0526], p = .07). These findings support the use of trauma-focused therapies for perinatal women with PTSD. Further research is needed to explore treatment efficacy for co-occurring symptoms like depression and anxiety and should intentionally include pregnant women with preexisting or non-birth-related PTSD to evaluate how trauma-focused interventions meet their unique needs.
    Publication Date
    • 2025-06
  • Added Creator Alyssa Zampogna

    June 11, 2025 08:35 by amz5312

  • Published

    June 11, 2025 08:38 by amz5312

  • Updated

    June 11, 2025 22:05 by [unknown user]